


Fire Is the Test of Gold

by Mara



Category: DCU - Comicverse, Leverage
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-31
Updated: 2011-12-31
Packaged: 2017-10-28 14:19:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/308758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mara/pseuds/Mara
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oracle might be the best, but she's always checking out the competition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fire Is the Test of Gold

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shinyjenni](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinyjenni/gifts).



It started with a hack. Well, that's obvious, given we're talking about Oracle. Say, rather, it started with someone _trying to hack Oracle._

Since by this time, Oracle had been the preeminent hacker in the world for at least five years, the only people who tried to break her defenses were 1) governments, 2) the very stupid, or 3) the very clever.

"Which one are you?" Babs wondered, swiveling her chair and peering at the screen detailing the intrusion. Chances were good this hacker wasn't stupid or her automated systems would have disposed of him or her long before bringing anything to her attention.

She watched for a minute before picking up the keyboard. "I think you qualify as clever, young...mmmm, man. Oh yes, definitely a man if you think _that_ technique will work."

It only took 15 minutes to rebuff the attack, but it was definitely the most interesting 15 minutes since the last alien invasion.

After dispatching Cass to help Steph out of a sticky (literally) situation, Babs set out some tracers to gather intel about her hacker.

"Alec Hardison," she read off the screen. "Who are you?"

He'd done an admirable job of wiping his records for a kid in his early 20s, but he'd left some traces in credit card records that were a sign of his youth and relative inexperience.

"But you can be trained out of that," she said to the screen. "The bigger question is if you can be trained out of the theft and petty larceny. Really?" she said to the screen. "Mick Jagger? That's almost pathetic."

She paged through everything else she'd found absently, already formulating a plan.

* * *

Two weeks later, Alec Hardison found a young Asian girl collapsed just outside the stairwell next to his stolen luxury penthouse. "Help me!" she gasped.

"What?" Hardison froze for a second before running toward her. "Are you okay, girl? Are you--what should--"

"Need to get inside before they find me."

"Right. Of course. I'll call 911."

"No, no police. Can't trust them." She grabbed his arm and looked up, pleading. "Must get my information to my friends immediately. Lives depend on it."

Hardison was ineffectually patting her, looking for injury. "Okay, c'mon." He helped her up and half-dragged her into his home.

Once they were inside, she pulled out a thumb drive. "This is it."

"The data or the whole drive?"

"The data. I have codes. Please."

"Yeah, of course. Lemme see that." In an instant, he'd popped it into a computer and was scrolling through files. "This...oh my god. This is data on the JLA."

"Yes," she said. "I work for the League of Assassins. You'll be rewarded if you help me."

Hardison stared at her, frozen in place. "But...the JLA. I mean, this is, it looks like medical data. Vulnerabilities."

"Please," she said, leaning against him. "Contact the League of Assassins and they'll protect you."

His head swung back and forth almost as if he didn't realize he was doing it, but it turned into a definite no. "No no no. No way. This is heavy shit. I'm not gonna help take down the JLA. That's just wrong."

"But you're a thief."

"Stealing from banks, yeah, but the JLA is important."

She grinned. "I agree."

"What?" He stared at her. "Wait, how did you know I'm a thief? What the hell is going on?" He jumped out of his seat and backed away, nearly stumbling over the couch.

"Oracle," Cass said. "I think you want to speak to him."

"Bring him in," Babs said into Cass's earpiece.

* * *

Hardison still looked stunned when Batgirl (now in costume) brought him into Oracle's lair. Babs smiled to herself as he tried to look at everything without actually looking like he was looking at everything. "So...this is Alec Hardison," she said to Cass.

"Yes." Cass poked him in the back and he jumped.

"Uh..." he managed.

Babs grinned the grin that made even Tim look for booby traps and was pleased to see Hardison didn't take a step backward. She was sure he wasn't stupid, so that left trying to be brave and she could appreciate that. "Batgirl seems to think you're not an entirely bad guy."

"Uh...thanks?" He shot Cass a look of confusion.

"As you've obviously figured out, we were testing you to see how deep your, shall we say, criminal inclinations went. Because I could use a hacker of your skill on my team, but I can't use a villain."

"What happens if I say I don't want to work for you?"

Babs shrugged. "Well, Martian Manhunter would do a little minor surgery on your memories of me and this place, but that's about it. I'm not in the business of worrying about Credit Suisse and Wells Fargo's security. They can take care of themselves."

Hardison looked around him and looked at Babs. "You're Oracle. Oracle wants me to work with her."

"Got it in one, kiddo."

He took a deep breath. "When can I start? Do I get to meet Superman? Is Batman really that scary?"

She cut him off. "Immediately. Maybe. Scarier. Sit down before you hyperventilate."

He collapsed into a chair and Babs took a minute to look at Cass, who was smiling. So his body language agreed with his words. Good.

"Alec Hardison...welcome to the Justice League. Now we've got to find you a codename."

"Ohmygodohmygodohmygod."

\--end--


End file.
